1797/5 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3052

Breen#:

6425

BD#:

7

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This overdate obverse was created from a previously unused 1795 obverse die of the Close Date style. This is the only collectible Heraldic Eagle variety bearing a 1797 date. Another variety is known with non-overdated 1797 obverse and Heraldic Eagle reverse, with the unique survivor in the Smithsonian Institution. An additional variety that was described by Walter Breen in his 1966 monograph turned out to be a misattribution. Robert Hilt recorded 23 surviving examples of this variety; however, the actual total is probably somewhat less, perhaps in the neighborhood of 15 coins.

Provenance:

Purchased from Lester Merkin's sale of March 1969, Lot 173.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: 7 punched over 5. Last 7 touches drapery and overlies it at top right. Reverse: Heraldic eagle. Cracks: edge - M - wing; edge - between S and O - stars."